Category: News

The NZGDA has written a submission to Parliament about the planned Screen Workers Rights Bill which aims to improve workers rights for contractors (not fulltime employees) working in our screen – and games – industry. Read our submission here. What do you think?

We’re delighted to formally open applications for the NZGDA 2020 Mentorship Scheme, supported by a grant from the NZFC. Applications are welcomed from both potential Mentors and Mentees at their respective links at the end of this story. It has taken longer to work out the best way in which to operate the scheme than […]

It’s my sad duty to announce that the board has made the decision to cancel this year’s New Zealand Game Developers Conference (NZGDC) due to the risks around COVID-19.  This was not a decision we made lightly. We understand that NZGDC is one of the few opportunities the NZ games industry has to get together […]

New Zealand’s Grinding Gear Games has beaten some of the world’s leading games – including Fortnite and Final Fantasy XIV – to win the 2020 BAFTA for Best Evolving Game. Since 2003, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has included Games alongside Film and Television in their annual award ceremonies. Path of Exile […]

The Government is changing the law about how game developers and other “screen production workers” – primarily those on contracts – are employed. The goal is to strengthen contractor’s employment rights while still keeping New Zealand an attractive place to make games and movies. While the Bill focuses on film, TV and VFX the Government […]

A new survey has found New Zealand’s game development sector has grown beyond expectations and is on track to becoming a billion dollar industry in 2025, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford says. “New Zealand’s interactive media sector grew by 42 per cent in last financial year to $203.4 million, according to the NZ Game Developers […]

New Zealand interactive game developers earned $203.4 million dollars during the 2019 financial year – double the $99.9m earned only two years earlier in 2017. The success comes from targeting audiences around the world and 96% of the industry’s earnings came from exports.

Statement on NZGDC Feedback I’m Lucy Weekley, the project manager for NZGDC, and I wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelmingly positive response to NZGDC19, and also address the common critical feedback with the highest level of transparency. The NZGDA isn’t a faceless organization — we’re all volunteers that love the games industry and work […]

Ballots for the 2019/2020 NZGDA Board Elections have now been mailed out to all current NZGDA members. Voting will close on Tuesday 5th November at 4PM, and results will be announced at the NZGDA Annual General Meeting. The 2019 AGM will be held at the beginning of the November Game Devs of Wellington meetup, on […]

In early September a very successful New Zealand Game Developers Conference was held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. “I think #NZGDC19 solidified itself as the conference in ANZ to be at.” – Joshua Boggs, Creative Director & CEO (Studio Mayday) Thank you so much to all of our attendees, […]

The New Zealand Game Developers Association is offering assistance for four New Zealand based game developers to attend Game Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) in Melbourne, Australia this October 7 – 9. GCAP is an annual community-based game development conference held in Melbourne, as part of Melbourne International Games Week. For the first time since returning […]

Are you a community minded game developer who wants to grow New Zealand’s game development sector? Then consider standing for the New Zealand Game Developers Association Board! Important dates Tue 22 October 2019 – Deadline for candidates to submit their statements Fri 25 October 2019 – Candidate statements published on NZGDA.com and online ballots emailed […]

A new report says that an industry development plan for New Zealand’s interactive media and games sector could create a billion dollar export industry by 2024. Introducing a coordinated plan that invests in emerging talent and allows interactive media to access existing screen industry programmes would create hundreds of hi-tech and creative industry jobs. The […]

A new report has found interactive media is a $143 million industry and is one of the fastest growing parts of New Zealand’s digital economy. Interactive Aotearoa – Driving growth and wellbeing through interactive media was prepared by the New Zealand Game Developers Association with support from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and […]

The Government has announced that it will develop a Creative Industries plan in 2020. This is particularly exciting for New Zealand’s gaming industry. Despite being the fastest-growing industry in New Zealand (39% annual growth each year for the last six years), game development has previously fallen into a gap between hi-tech policy and arts and […]